- This is politics not the Church – Saleshando
- Prophet TP Elias says time has come to serve beyond the pulpit
- But Saleshando is confident he will retain Maun West
- He vows to surpass his 2019 votes
Maun West Member of Parliament Dumelang Saleshando has responded to reports that popular prophet TP Elias has intentions to contest the constituency under the ruling BDP ticket in the 2024 elections.
It’s widely believed the prophet due to his large following, is a perfect candidate for the BDP to dislodge the incumbent come 2024, but Saleshando response was that, Prophet or no prophet, they will retain the constituency.
Elias, of Gates of Heaven Networks Church recently confirmed to The Ngami Times that he stands ready to contest for any of the two Maun constituencies. He is of the view that time has therefore come for him to step in and serve his people beyond the pulpit.
“As much as I serve people at church as a prophet, I also have to serve them as their servant at a party level to make sure I advocate for them and bring the much needed change especially now that we don’t have elected parliamentary representatives at both Maun East and West,” he said.
But the BCP Leader has said that he is not shaken by the Prophet intending to challenge him expressing confidence that he will retain the constituency. In the last general elections Saleshando won the Maun West constituency with 9713 votes under the UDC ticket defeating BDP’s Reaboka Mbulawa who got 6409 votes and Moalosi Sebati of Alliance for Progressives (AP) who got 557 votes.
“We welcome any challenge from anyone, therefore the Prophet is welcome and mind you this is politics not a church, so we will see what happens when elections are here,” Saleshando said.
Saleshando noted that the BCP has embarked on a recruitment drive countrywide in preparations for general elections adding that even the issue of Maun West; he is not looking at the numbers that he got against Reaboka Mbulawa in 2019 but the aim is go beyond that.
“As of now we are not afraid of the BDP and anyone who will stand for them because we are better than them in everything. We have the best interests of Batswana at heart as BCP and for years we have been advocating for the betterment of all, so we are ready for the Prophet and anyone who will contest for the area,” he stated.
Because of the ongoing turmoil within the UDC coalition it is not yet clear as to which party Shaleshando will contest Maun West under. But Saleshando has reiterated that as the BCP they are not yet out of the UDC as talks are still at an initial stage regarding their position in the coalition.
This is despite the ongoing relationship between the BCP and AP of which many believe may result in the two parties forming a coalition ahead of the election out of the UDC. Commenting on the matter Saleshando said, ‘it is politics’ adding that as the BCP they have decided to continue with their mandate noting that until UDC decides to put their house in order, there is no way things can be well within coalition.
